The summer national high school baseball season began at Koshien Stadium on the 6th, and due to the spread of the new coronavirus infection among the players of the representative school, the opening ceremony was changed to a format in which only the captains marched in following the placards. was done.
The 104th summer national high school baseball season opened at Koshien Stadium on the 6th, and the opening ceremony started at 9:30 am, 30 minutes behind the original schedule due to bad weather.
The opening ceremony was originally planned to have all the players from the representative school march around the stadium for the first time in three years, but due to the spread of the new coronavirus infection among the players from the representative school, the placard was followed. It was changed to a format in which only the captain marches.
In addition, a total of 6 schools were absent from the opening ceremony, including 5 schools that were judged to have an outbreak and 1 school where multiple players became unwell.
Even so, Chiben Wakayama High School, who won last year's championship, marched powerfully from south to north, and the stands, which were open to the general public for the first time in three years, gave a big round of applause.
Then, Haruki Tamaki, captain of Yokohama High School in Kanagawa, said, "I was able to overcome the difficult times because of Koshien. I vow to make it the best summer ever."
The tournament will be held for 17 days, including a rest day on the 3rd, starting on the 6th.
Full text of player oath by Yokohama High School captain Haruki Tamaki
This is the full text of the player oath made by Haruki Tamaki, the captain of Yokohama High School in Kanagawa.
“Oath. This year marks the 150th anniversary of the introduction of baseball.I am filled with the joy of being able to play baseball in Koshien, the sacred ground, in
this
memorable year.
I'm doing my best to live my life every day.There have been times when I couldn't play baseball as much as I wanted due to injuries, and I couldn't even stand on the ground.There were also times when I was worried about how to organize the team
. I am convinced that the reason I was able to overcome the difficult times was because Koshien was here, and because of the strong ties I had with the coaches, my teammates, and my family
. I want to repay the kindness through solidarity in baseball.Putting
all my energy into each ball, putting my heart into each throw and hitting, and being confident and lively like a high school student, and making a name for myself in the new history of high school baseball with gratitude and excitement. I promise to play with all my heart and soul to make it the best summer ever.”
Captain Tamaki "I tried to take an oath for the players who couldn't attend the opening ceremony"
Yuki Tamaki, who took the player's oath, responded to an online interview after the
opening ceremony, saying, ``I wanted to march and take the oath for the players who couldn't attend the opening ceremony. I was nervous because it was my first big role, but I was happy to have my words heard by a large audience, and I wanted to win in front of this audience."